A Italy research found that patients at medium-high risk who had routine coronary angiography before undergoing major vascular surgery had better results than those who underwent the imaging procedure based on the findings of noninvasive tests, the Reuters Health reports.

Study was published in September 8, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

In this study, the team studied 208 patients scheduled for elective surgical treatment of major vascular disease and with a revised cardiac risk index 2 were randomly allocated to either a “selective strategy” group (group A, n = 103), in whom coronary angiography was performed based on the results of noninvasive tests, or to a “systematic strategy” group (group B, n = 105), consisting of patients who systematically underwent pre-operative coronary angiography.

The 2 groups were similar with respect to baseline clinical characteristics, revised cardiac risk index, and type of vascular surgery performed. The myocardial revascularization rate in group B was higher than in group A (58.1% vs. 40.1%; p = 0.01). In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event rate was not significantly lower in group B (p = 0.07). At 58 ± 17 months of follow-up, group B showed significantly better survival (p = 0.01) and freedom from death/cardiovascular events (p = 0.003).